Just over a week after initial reports came in that Sony would be shutting down the PlayStation Store on some of its older consoles, the company has now confirmed exactly that. In a notice on its website, Sony says the stores on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable will shut down on July 2, while the PlayStation Vita will shut down on August 27, the exact dates mentioned in the earlier report.
Over the weekend, some users noticed that the old web version of the PlayStation Store, which included the ability to buy games for these older platforms, is no longer accessible either. To be fair, Sony launched a new web portal for the Store in October and warned that only the platforms on that store - the PlayStation 4 and 5 - would be supported going forward, but the old version was still accessible until recently.
Until the closure of the PlayStation Store on each of these consoles, you can still buy games for them through their own built-in stores. After the closure, though, you won"t be able to buy games, movies or other video content, or in-game purchases on these platforms. You also won"t be able to redeem gift cards that give you wallet funds.
However, if you have vouchers for specific games or PlayStation Plus subscriptions, they will continue to work after these dates. You"ll also still be able to re-download any content you"ve purchased, as well as games claimed through PlayStation Plus - as long as your subscription stays active. Should you have any funds in your wallet after the closure, you can use them on newer platforms or request to have them refunded to you.
While the closure of the PlayStation Store on older consoles may be upsetting to some users, all of these platforms are pretty old or irrelevant. If you"ve been holding off on a specific purchase on these consoles, now is the time to do it.